India sets up evacuation camps on Ukraine's borders with Poland, Romania, Hungary

New Delhi, Feb 25 (IANS) India has set up camps on Ukraine's borders touching Poland, Romania, Hungary and Slovakia for evacuation of stranded nationals from the war-hit east European nation.

With Ukraine closing its airspace after Russia launched a military operation in the country on Thursday, the Indian Embassy in Kiev has asked the Indian nationals to start moving towards the bordering areas so that they can be evacuated safely.

The Embassy issued two advisories urging Indian nationals to start moving towards the country's western border check-posts.

In the first advisory, the Embassy stated: "Indian nationals arriving at the Poland-Ukraine border by public conveyance, i.e., by bus or taxi, are advised to make for the Shehyni-Medyka border crossing, not the Krakowiec crossing."

The Embassy stated that the Polish government is allowing people to cross the border on foot only through the Shehyni-Medyka border point.

The Krakowiec crossing is only for persons travelling in their own vehicles.

The Embassy also gave a list of the officials deployed at the bordering areas with Poland -- Pankaj Garg (+48660460815) is stationed at the Shehyni-Medyka border crossing.

The Embassy office at the Krakowiec crossing is headed by Shubham Kumar (+48881551271). The liaison office in Lviv is operational and is managed by Mira Berezovska (+380679335064) and Vivek Kumar (+48881551273, from late on Friday).

"Indians crossing into Poland may kindly register their details by processing their requests for seats in the repatriation flights which will be arranged shortly," it stated.

In the second advisory, the Embassy said that it is working to establish evacuation routes from Romania and Hungary.

"At present, teams are getting in place at the Chop-Zahony Hungarian border near Uzhhorod Porubne-Siret, and Romanian border near Chernivtsi," the Embassy stated.

Indian nationals, especially students, living closest to the above border check-posts have been advised to depart first in an organised manner, in coordination with teams from the Ministry of External Affairs, to actualise this option.

"Once the above routes are operational, Indian nationals travelling by their own arrangements for transport would be advised to proceed to the above border check-points, and remain in touch with the helpline numbers set up at the respective check-points for facilitation through the border," the Embassy stated.

Students have been advised to remain in touch with student contractors for orderly movement.